Nainital, 15 October

Dansingh BK, a resident of Khina in Kalikot, was found carrying heavy loads in Nainital, a tourist town in Uttarakhand state, India. It has been 18 years since he started carrying it like this in Nainital. BK works in the nursery of a hotel in Nainital. Other than that, he carries the heavy load the rest of the time.

"I have paid the expenses of the house by carrying a heavy load, if I don't do this, everything at home will come to a standstill", said 47-year-old BK. He went to Calicut a few days ago and returned to work in Nainital. He said, "The news came that my son is sick at home, I took the expenses for the treatment, now I will go home late, I will not go on Dasain."

BK earns up to Rs 30,000 per month by working as a laborer in Nainital. "If I could get a job in my country, I would not want to come abroad, even if I find a job, I don't get a proper salary", he said, "Here, I get paid according to what I have done."

Many Nepali workers are working hard to make Nainital beautiful. Hundreds of Nepali laborers are seen carrying heavy loads day and night in Talli and Malli Tal areas of Nainital. Some hotels and some local moneylenders have been earning their living by working in their houses. Lately, the number of Nepalese who operate shops on the street is increasing. The number of laborers is the same even during Dashain, the biggest festival of Nepalese.

"Who doesn't want to celebrate the festival by staying at home with their family on Dasai?" 18-year-old Ramesh Rawat of Ghodaghodi Municipality-2 of Kailali said, "How to spend the rest of the time when you go home during Dashain?" He says that the income of Nainital runs the household expenses.

Rawat says that despite the political change, there is no possibility of employment in the country. He came to Nainital to work after giving his class 12th examination. Rawat's father also works here. With the help of his father, it has become easy for him to do labor. "Due to the situation at home, we came here with our father, it has become our destiny to bear more and more burdens", said Rawat.

While some Nepalese go home during Dasain Tihar, Rawat father and son have stayed in Nainital this time in the hope that they will find more heavy-lifting work at that time. Here, Nepalese laborers go door-to-door selling vegetables and mostly work cleaning dishes in hotels. Surrounded by mountains, the attractive Nainital is located. Nainital, which has become deserted due to the Corona pandemic, has recently seen an increase in tourist activity. Along with this, Nepalese also got the opportunity to work.

Around 500 Nepalese are working in Nainital, Khurpa Lake, Bhim Lake and other areas. They seem to be busy day and night transporting cement, sticks, vegetables, gas cylinders, and other household goods in the Nainital area. They are paid according to distance and weight.

"Nepali citizens have been working honestly for a long time", said a hotelier from Nainital, "From carrying vegetables to hotels to delivering gas to houses, Nepalis have great support and cooperation."

Navaraj Bista of Bajhang is in a state of not going, even though he has sent all the things to his house for Dashain. It has been almost a decade and a half since he started carrying heavy. Bista, who was packing vegetables at the hotel, said, "The income here has made it easy to manage household expenses."

He said that the family is supported by the heavy load of Nainital, so the festival is not very important. "As long as you have the strength, you will carry heavy loads, then you have to go home", said Bista.

56-year-old Sher Bahadur BK of Khaneetriveni, Kalikot said that he is preparing his son Jeevan for public service in Kathmandu with the money he earned by carrying heavy loads in Nainital. "I have taken out lakhs of loans to educate my son, I am not in a position to go home remembering Dasain, when I go home, everything is broken," he said, "I am carrying a heavy hope that my son will be employed and we will be able to live happily at home in old age."

Mainly citizens of Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces come here for employment. For them, Nainital is the main destination for employment. Generations, from father to grandson, carry heavy loads together here. Most of the Nepalese who work here have been spending their earnings on their children's education.